


Rain

by coldphoenix



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-20
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2019-07-14 21:49:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16049237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coldphoenix/pseuds/coldphoenix
Summary: For someone on tumblr. Their namekian OC introduces his boyfriend to the rain festival.





	Rain

**Author's Note:**

> This is for @profoundlytenaciousgalaxy, with their OCs Black-Ice and Kuji. I hope it's okay!

Laughter… splashing… shrieking. Yelling. In happiness, and excitement… The memories returned to Kuji every time it rained. Memories of his home, and the Rain Festivals he’d grown up with. They had been such beautiful times. So significant, and exciting… like magic, almost. It had felt like magic when he was a child. It didn’t often rain on Namek, but when it did it poured. For days on end. Everyone was happy, all through the rain. The rain gave life to the world, and the people of the world were grateful for it. They celebrated it, every single time. As soon as the first drops fell, everyone would dart out of their houses and soak themselves in the rain. Children would splash in puddles, and playfully roll around in the mud. Their clothes would be dirtied and torn, but nobody cared. It was all part of the fun, and often the kids ended up stripping off anyway. Their clothes would be dumped in a pile, and would soon become soaked while the kids ran off to play, or they would hurriedly kick off their clothing in excitement as they darted outside. Their parents would follow them, picking up the trail of clothes, and they would do it hurriedly as well, because they were excited to get in the rain themselves.

The kids would lie on their backs with their mouths open, giggling and making a game of letting the raindrops fall into them. Seeing how far they could stick out their tongue, and how wet they could get it. Kuji could still feel it now… He could still remember being a child, stripped bare, rolling around on the wet ground. Feeling the mud against his back as he lay upon it, staring up at the darkened sky with his tongue stretched out so far it hurt. The Rain Festival was the only time Kuji could truly enjoy being outside – the sun would hurt him otherwise. He had such sensitive skin… but the rain soothed it. The rain clouds hid the sun, and made it safe, and nice for him to play. He remembered how comfortable he’d felt in the rain; he could still feel the cool air around him, under the darkened sky. The raindrops would tickle him as they landed on his tongue, and he would giggle at the feeling. He would keep looking at his friends, to see them doing the same thing… and it made it all so much more fun. The kids loved drinking the rain. They would even drink it off the ground, not caring about the dirty taste and the grit on their tongue. Kuji could still taste it…. He remembered licking the mud to taste the rain, and all he’d got on his tongue was the taste of mud. He remembered flinching, shouting ‘ew’, before he’d laughed and swallowed it, and licked the ground again. … Hehe. Kuji chuckled, at the memory of himself. He’d been such a kid! They all were. All the children were sweet and innocent, and they did funny things in the rain. Kuji remembered rolling around with his friends, and jumping in puddles to see who could make the biggest splash. Playing chase, and slipping on the wet surface. Falling face-first into the mud, and laughing and getting back up again. Some kids even wiped their faces in the ground, and in the puddles they fell into. They weren’t used to it, so it was exciting for them. 

Not just them. The adults would celebrate as well. They would strip to the waist, or some would strip bare, and let the rain soak them. Nobody cared that they were naked – the Rain Festival wasn’t a time for embarrassment or hiding away. Everyone was free, and open. There was no judgment, no shyness, no indecency about it… Just celebration, of the most sacred thing in the world. Even the adults would open their mouths and look up at the sky, and drink the juice of life. They would watch the children playing, and they would close their eyes and thank the world for sending the rain. They made the children do the same; every child was taught the importance of it. They were taught to be happy with the rain, and grateful for every last drop. They would dance together… Kuji remembered dancing, with his elders and his friends. The adults had a little more structure. Less splashing and more rhythm. They used to do synchronised dancing, and the kids would try to copy. The same way Kuji had copied when he was little. The adults played games, played music and sang songs… all of which they would teach the children. All of which the children would learn, and get better as they got older, and then they would teach the children of their own. It was… a truly wonderful thing. Euphoria and excitement everywhere, people drinking and singing and dancing… then sometimes, people who were in love would take their partner’s hand, and they would wander off… Kuji had seen that happen, a few times. He hadn’t known what it meant at first. When he was a child, he sometimes saw couples wandering off on their own, and he never understood why… until he got a little older, and people told him what it was about. The couples would take their partner’s hand, and move away from the crowd. To somewhere small, and private, where they could still hear the celebrations in the distance. Where they could still hear the rain. Still feel it, still smell it… and surrounded by the sound of distant music, they would worship it together. In the most intimate way. It was the most intense, the most beautiful, the most pure thing in the world… … and Kuji longed for that. He’d never tried it himself; he’d never found someone special to share the rain with. Not on Namek, anyway. But now… he wanted to try it. He’d always wanted to, and whenever the rain came… he had such a desire to. It was different here, though. The rain on this planet wasn’t the same. It occurred regularly, and so it wasn’t celebrated as a gift to the world. It wasn’t important enough. Some people even saw it as a nuisance, ruining their daytime plans. But it wasn’t a nuisance to Kuji. Every time it rained, despite how often that was, he was filled with memories of his past. Memories of a world that loved the rain for the wonderful thing it was… and he always, always wanted to celebrate it. In particular, he wanted to celebrate it with his love. Black-Ice wasn’t a fan of cold things, and the rain on Earth was often very cold, so getting him to go out in it seemed an impossible task. He never wanted to, not even when Kuji told him how beautiful the rain was. He didn’t see it the way Kuji did; he hadn’t grown up thinking it was special. Today, though… the rain was warmer than usual. So Kuji thought it might be worth asking Black-Ice to go out in it. He was certain that if they did, it would be one of the best experiences they would ever have. Kuji wouldn’t forgive himself if he didn’t at least try to convince him…

So he looked at his partner, and he offered a smile.  
“Hey.” He said. “Do you want to go out? The rain’s warm today.”  
“It’s still wet.” Black-Ice stated bluntly. “And I’ll be cold after.”  
“I’ll warm you up.” Kuji smirked playfully, to which Black-Ice smiled a little, but he still looked away in reluctance.  
“It’s just rain, Kuji.” He said. “It happens all the time here.”  
“Which is why this planet is so green.” Kuji replied. “Why aren’t people more thankful for that?”  
“Hm…” Black-Ice smiled again. Kuji’s outlook was somewhat uplifting, he had to admit. Black-Ice wasn’t fond of the rain himself, but he was fond of Kuji’s appreciation of it. Kuji thought the rain was such a wonderful thing… it was charming, even if Black-Ice didn’t agree.  
“Come on.” Kuji approached Black-Ice, and placed an arm around him. “Please? If you don’t like it, we can come back inside.”

Black-Ice looked at him. He was reluctant to. He didn’t like the rain! And he didn’t want to go out and get wet, in some sort of ceremony that wasn’t even done here, and that held no significance to Black-Ice at all. But… this wasn’t the first time Kuji had brought this up. He’d mentioned before about how his people used to have a Rain Festival – actually, he had a tendency to mention it every time it rained. He had never gone into too much detail, but it had clearly been an important part of his life. Black-Ice didn’t quite see the appeal, but… every time Kuji spoke about it, Black-Ice became more aware of how often he spoke about it. Its importance to Kuji was so obvious; he had such a keenness to go out in the rain, every single time… He’d been happy enough to go out by himself, knowing how much Black-Ice disliked being in the wet, and the cold. But… after a while, Black-Ice had to question his own reluctance. If it was so important to Kuji, someone he loved and cared about… and the rain was warmer today, Kuji was right about that… Then really, for Kuji’s sake, what could be the harm…?  
“… … Fine.” After weeks of trying, Black-Ice finally, and reluctantly gave in. “But if I don’t like it, I’m not staying.”  
“That’s fine!” Kuji beamed, his face lighting up in excitement. _Yes_! He could hardly believe Black-Ice had agreed! “Come on!” He took Black-Ice’s hand, and led him outside.

The smell… it was almost enough to send Kuji into a trance. He immediately closed his eyes and inhaled, taking in the sweet aroma of the wet air. The rain upon the grass, the mud, the green… it smelt like home. Home, at a very specific time of year. The best time! Black-Ice watched him in fascination, as Kuji’s face softened. Black-Ice had never seen him look so content before. He seemed… at peace. Truly, at peace. Like his life could never possibly be better than it was right now. Was the rain so important to him…? … Why? It was… cold. Black-Ice frowned slightly, at the moisture on his body. It was warmer than usual, but still not as warm as he’d like. The rain was heavy, and within a couple of minutes Black-Ice was soaked. The rain drops gathered in the pits of his horns, which was annoying. The ground below him started to feel soft and squishy under his feet – disgusting. He would need to bathe when he got in. The rain slid down his skin, tickling him. Black-Ice didn’t like the feeling. He didn’t like being tickled by dirty sky water. But… he felt Kuji release Black-Ice’s hand from his grasp, and Kuji started to strip. Just like that. Black-Ice almost flinched in surprise. Did people have to be naked for the Rain Festival? Kuji had never mentioned that.

He watched as his partner stripped himself bare. He laid his clothing down on the floor, not seeming to care that it was getting wet. He was too preoccupied with… his trance? Euphoria? Whatever this was. Kuji was relishing in it. He spread out his arms, as if holding himself in offering to the rain. He smiled as the drops fell onto his skin; it tickled, but Kuji liked that. It was soothing… so soothing. The sun was gone… all Kuji could feel was the warm air, slightly cooled by the rain. The contrast in temperature just seemed to make the rain more obvious, more special. He titled his head back to look towards the grey sky, and the rain clouds that covered the world. Like a blanket. They made Kuji feel safe, and protected. Protected… and nourished. With a smile, he opened his mouth wide. The rain drops fell onto his tongue… He remembered this. It was a sensation he’d always loved. He pressed his toes into the ground, coating them in the dampened dirt, and grass. He could feel his feet, submerged in the earth. Like he was one with the planet, one with the rain. Surely nobody could ever feel closer to nature? Nobody could ever feel more at home, than when they were joining with the world, to celebrate the world… The world, and life. Green, flourishing life. It surrounded him. It tickled his feet, and filled his nostrils with its scent… all because of the rain.

Black-Ice approached his partner, and looked at him, almost in concern.  
“Kuji…?” He spoke.  
“Mm…” Kuji withdrew his tongue and closed his mouth, swallowing the raindrops he’d captured. He opened his eyes to look at Black-Ice, and giggled at the expression upon his face. He didn’t get it, did he? Kuji must look weird… naked, drinking rain water and letting his feet get dirty. People didn’t do that on this planet, did they?  
“Aren’t you worried that someone might see you?” Black-Ice questioned.  
“No…” Kuji answered. “It’s normal to take your clothes off in the Rain Festival. Anyway… who would see me? The people on this planet don’t come out in the rain…” He sat down, placing his hands on the ground. The wet grass clung to his fingers, as he pressed his palm into the earth to feel it. It was soft, and moist and smooth… how did people not like this? He looked up at Black-Ice, and gestured for him to join him. “Sit down.”  
“This is fun for you?” Black-Ice didn’t seem impressed at all, but he did sit down. He looked uncomfortable to begin with… the ground was too cold for him, and he didn’t enjoy the texture. He didn’t see the appeal of wet grass, sticking to your body. He didn’t understand why Kuji liked it so much. Kuji did like it – he loved it, Black-Ice could tell. He’d never seen him so content… happy, even. All because of rain.  
“You don’t like it at all?” Kuji questioned.  
“… I’m sorry.” Black-Ice sighed. “I know this is important to you… but to me, rain is rain. It’s cold, and wet, and it makes the ground dirty…” He turned his head towards a small ki, and noticed a squirrel taking shelter in a worn, damp log. Even nature didn’t like this stuff. “Look – the animals are hiding from it!”  
“Oh…”

Kuji’s lips parted, when another memory of his past came flooding back to him. Instinctively, he put himself on all fours, and started crawling towards the log. Slowly, and carefully… he didn’t want to frighten the little creature away. This was just like on Namek… except when he was a child, he did frighten the creatures. He, and the other kids. They didn’t mean to. They were just… kids. Even their quietest steps were loud, and their whispers of excitement were small yells – in excitement. Kuji and his friends would try to find all the little animals taking shelter from the rain, because the rain always made it hard for certain animals to run out of sight. Instead they stayed put, in somewhere dry and warm… Kuji always liked to look for them. He liked nature, and animals. He struggled to see them at first, because he and his friends would always end up making them flee. But as he got older, he got quieter… Now, he was quiet. He peered into the log, and was greeted by two wide eyes. Heh. He smiled slightly. The poor thing was startled… but Kuji didn’t move. He didn’t try to touch it – that frightened little creatures, his childhood had taught him. So he just looked at it, and eventually it seemed to calm down, realising he wasn’t a threat. It shook itself dry, and started wiping its head, to brush away the last drops of rain. Heh… it was cute.

Kuji heard a faint rustling at his side, and he turned his head to see Black-Ice beside him, peering into the log.  
“Nature spotting?” Black-Ice quietly commented.  
“Heh.” Kuji laughed a little, slightly embarrassed. He knew how silly he seemed… they’d seen plenty of animals before. But… this was different. This reminded him… of back then. Good times… “I used to do this when I was a kid. All of us – we’d look for animals in the rain.”  
“Did you find many?”  
“Some.” Kuji smirked slightly. “We usually scared them away. We didn’t mean to.”  
“Kids are loud.” Black-Ice spoke with a small smile. The image of child Kuji searching for animals was quite sweet, he had to admit… Black-Ice was starting to get a feeling of how happy Kuji’s childhood had been. Kuji had always told him how the suns of Namek had harmed him. His skin was so sensitive that Namek’s environment wasn’t really suited to him. But… it was obvious now that Kuji had still been happy, in the Rain Festival at least. Maybe that was why he loved the rain so much. Maybe it wasn’t all about how important it was to namekians… maybe it was more about how important it was to Kuji. His only pain-free memories of Namek must be from the rain…

Black-Ice looked at Kuji, and offered a small smile, deciding to indulge him in this… tribute to his past. If the rain mattered so much to him…  
“So.” He spoke. “What else happens in the Rain Festival, then? The kids terrorise animals… anything else?”  
“Haha!” Kuji started to laugh. “We didn’t terrorise them all.” He moved his eyes, to a group of slugs that seemed quite comfortably settled on top of the log. They didn’t care that Kuji was here. The rain drew out little bugs and slugs like this as well, and Kuji had seen so many in his lifetime. When he was a child, he thought they’d come out to join in the fun. So, he used to help them party. “I used to let these dance with me…” He moved his hand, to block a slug’s path, in the hope that it would slide onto his palm. He used to dance with them on him; it was common for the kids to do that. There wasn’t the same stigma attached to these creatures, as there was on Earth. Namekian children didn’t think they were gross…  
“You would carry them around?” Black-Ice’s face twisted in disgust, at the image of child Kuji coated in slugs and snails. Why…?  
“Of course. All the kids did. We thought it was fun.” Kuji smirked, withdrawing his hand. He got the feeling that Black-Ice didn’t want to party with nature the way Kuji was used to. It was a shame… “They’re part of the festival too. Me and my friends used to compete, to see who could get the most. I won a few times.”  
“Mm…” Black-Ice grunted. It didn’t sound at all appealing to him…  
“We put them back.” Kuji reasoned. “The adults made sure we didn’t hurt them.”  
“I see…” Black-Ice uttered. Well… children did play unusual games… if the adults didn’t do it, at least… “Did you do anything else?”  
“A lot.” Kuji smiled. “We played all sorts of games. We played chase, splashed in puddles… pretended to be frogs.” He chuckled, thinking back to those days. It was such fun! “And we used to sing songs, and dance – everybody did that. The singing and dancing was the biggest thing – you didn’t get a Rain Festival without it.”

He paused for a moment, considering another idea. While they were out here, in the rain… maybe Black-Ice would want to… Again, Kuji at least wanted to ask. It would be so great if they did. So, in excitement and in hope, Kuji met Black-Ice’s eyes, and grinned. “Do you want to dance?”  
“Oh…” Black-Ice uttered hesitantly. No, was the simple answer. The ground was getting damper by the second; the rain was beating down on him, from above and from the side, blown around by a slight breeze. Staying still was just about the only thing that seemed tolerable. Black-Ice wouldn’t mind singing, if he had to, but he didn’t particularly want to move… “I don’t know any rain dances.”  
“Well, I’m rusty myself.” Kuji said. “Anyway – it’s not like we have music. You can dance however you want.” 

He leaned against Black-Ice, and rubbed their cheeks together, his antennae lightly grazing Black-Ice’s horns. “Please…? Let’s just try.”  
“… Hm…” Black-Ice leaned back against him, returning the affection. This was really important to him, wasn’t it? He could feel the excitement, and the keenness in Kuji’s heart. … Hmm… well… “… Alright.” He reluctantly agreed. “But just for a few minutes – then I’m going back inside.”  
“Fine.” Kuji giggled.

He stood up with ease, and watched as Black-Ice struggled to stand. He seemed to be trying to keep himself as sheltered by the rain as he could, using his tail to shield himself. Kuji laughed. “You really hate it, huh…?”  
“It’s cold, and wet.” Black-Ice answered. “Sorry… this just isn’t my thing.”  
“Not at all…?” Kuji’s face fell, as a sense of disappointed began to consume him. It was painfully obvious in Black-Ice’s body language and his tone, that he really wasn’t enjoying this. Kuji had hoped he would get used to it after a few minutes, but… it didn’t seem likely… “… Listen…” Kuji uttered. “I mean… If you want, we can go back in. It’s alright.” He smiled slightly, in an attempt to hide his disheartenment. “There’ll always be another rainy day.”  
“No…” Black-Ice sighed. He felt bad… it hadn’t been his intention to hurt Kuji’s feelings. He adored Kuji, and he wanted him to be happy. Even, Black-Ice realised, if it was at the cost of his own comfort. If Kuji wanted to do this, then Black-Ice wanted to suck up his own reluctances and let Kuji have a good time. He took hold of Kuji’s hand, and offered a supportive smile. “I’m already wet now, aren’t I? It’s the best time to dance.” He smirked slightly. “Otherwise I’ll have to come out in the rain again.”  
“Haha…” Kuji blushed a little, and looked away. He could tell Black-Ice was trying to cheer him up. He appreciated that. Black-Ice was a good guy… “You wouldn’t want to do that, right?”  
“I suppose… if I had a good experience with it, it wouldn’t be so bad.” Black-Ice said. He squeezed Kuji’s hand. “Come on.” He purred. “Let’s dance.”

In that moment, Kuji couldn’t have felt happier. Black-Ice’s sudden keenness had taken him by surprise, but it was a good one. Definitely a good one! This was all he wanted. All he’d ever wanted, for as long as he could remember. Being out in the Rain Festival, dancing with the one he loved. It was what Kuji had grown up dreaming about. It was what everyone on Namek had dreamed about. To meet someone, and celebrate the Rain Festival with them. To dance with them in the rain… someone special, who you could share your life with. Kuji wanted that, with Black-Ice. It was no secret. They were in a relationship, and they were both happy with each other. Kuji was happy with Black-Ice, and he wanted to spend his life with him. It wasn’t something he wanted to hide, or something he didn’t want to admit. They knew they loved each other. So this shouldn’t really feel so different, or so new… but somehow, it did. This whole thing… their relationship, his presence… it felt different. Maybe because of the rain, or maybe because it was what Kuji had wanted for so long… probably that. Kuji hadn’t even thought much of it. When he’d asked Black-Ice to dance, it had been just that. He’d just wanted to dance, with Black-Ice. There hadn’t really been anything overly romantic or significant to it – not when he’d asked, anyway. But now… Now, it felt romantic. And it felt significant. Kuji was dancing, with the one he loved. That felt… so beautiful.

It was a little awkward at first. Black-Ice took Kuji by the hand, and led him away from the log, into an area with more space. He watched Kuji, obviously trying to copy his moves. Without music, Black-Ice didn’t really know what he was supposed to be doing. But he got a rhythm, from watching Kuji… Kuji was really dancing, as if to music. It looked quite adorable; Black-Ice couldn’t help but smile. He picked up the rhythm quickly, and danced to the sound of the rain. The rain, and… whatever music was in Kuji’s mind. There was plenty. Kuji could hear the people of Namek banging their palms against the surface of their drums – or anything they could find that would make a noise. People made music out of everything. Everything was a part of the festival; everything was blessed by the rain. He could hear flutes, and clapping, and singing… it was like they were here. It was like the singers and the dancers and the musicians were here with them, surrounding them… Kuji could hear them in the background, with the sound of the rain, and he could dance to them… so aware that he was with Black-Ice. The ground was soft and squishy underneath their feet. It squelched and splattered as they rhythmically stamped into puddles, and grass. Black-Ice’s arms were around him… his tail was around him. Kuji could feel the warmth of Black-Ice’s body against his; he could feel the hypnotic movements of Black-Ice’s frame, swaying in time to his. This was… beautiful. 

He had his eyes closed… he hadn’t even realised at first, but as soon as the memories of music had begun playing in his mind, Kuji had closed his eyes, to allow himself to become captured by them. They weren’t drowned out by the sound of the rain. The rain made them stronger; it made the memories more vivid, more sensual, more real. Real enough to make a new one… A memory of dancing to the music of the Rain Festival, with someone who was more than just a friend. Someone Kuji had never had before. Someone Kuji had longed for, and dreamed about. Someone special… Kuji opened his eyes, to meet Black-Ice’s.  
_“I… love you,”_ he wanted to say, but he didn’t. It didn’t feel like he needed to. The atmosphere seemed to say it all. Black-Ice could feel it… he could feel what was in Kuji’s heart. The same warmth, and the same love that was in his. Black-Ice smiled back at him, holding Kuji’s hands. He trailed his hands up Kuji’s back… he wasn’t sure why. There was something about this dance that felt… intimate. Black-Ice… appreciated him, more. Somehow. He adored Kuji – of course he adored Kuji, and he wasn’t shy about that. But now, more than ever he wanted him around. Even though it was raining, and Black-Ice hated the wet, and the cold… it didn’t feel bad. Not anymore. It felt… nice. His hands slid along Kuji’s skin so smoothly, eased by the rain. Kuji’s body glistened, coated by the raindrops. They sparkled upon his skin, and Black-Ice became so unbearably aware that he was naked. He had seen Kuji naked before, but… now, it was different. Black-Ice felt different. Kuji was an attractive being, with a gorgeous body… but Black-Ice was rather good at containing himself, and whatever desires he felt. Now, though… he didn’t feel contained. He didn’t even feel overly lustful, he just… felt in love. It was something greater, than lust or desire. Something more significant, more enchanting… … Was this all because of the rain?

Black-Ice started to slow his movements, and Kuji mimicked him. They loosened their grips on each other, and they stared into each other’s eyes. The drums and the songs were still playing softly in Kuji’s mind, and Black-Ice looked like he could hear them as well. Or at least, he could feel them. Through Kuji’s feelings, or Kuji’s aura… somehow. They didn’t need to say anything to each other. Black-Ice didn’t know about Kuji’s dream. He didn’t know about the lovers, who took each other’s hands and went off to a private place, with the songs and the music in the distance, to express their love in the rain. He had no memories of those in love… but he felt the same as them. Kuji saw it, in Black-Ice’s eyes. He saw something that he had only seen in other people, when they looked at other people. Their partners. Their loves. Kuji had seen it, and wanted it… and dreamed of it. Now… it seemed his dream would come true. He parted his lips as Black-Ice took hold of his hand, and led him off to somewhere private. Just the two of them, under the rain. In the distance, Kuji could still hear the songs and the drums.


End file.
